Fishing reel



. Aug. 25,1942. 1 A. JOABsON 2,293,755

FISHING REEL Original Filed April 5, 193? llllllln "III" O t omysPatented Aug. 25, 1942 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE FISHING REEL ArthurJoabson, Chicago, 111.

Original application April 5, 1937, Serial No.

134,934. Divided and this application Novemher 8, 1939, Serial No.303,355

8 Claims.

The invention relates to fishing devices and has more particularreference to an improved reel automatically operative in response to apull on the line to cause the latter to be reeled in; this applicationbeing a division of my copending application Serial No. 134,934, filedApril 5, 1937, issued as Patent No. 2,194,088.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterstated, an automatic reel of new and improved construction whichincludes means for storing energy as the line is paid up for setting thedevice for operation, and for subsequent use in reeling in a hookedfish.

Another object is to provide a novel governor means for preventingexcessive speed of movement of the reel and line.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingdescription and from the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of an automatic fishing device embodyingthe improved reel.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View substantially along line 2-2 ofFig. 4.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a governor for preventingexcessive reel speed.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the device in a set positionwith part of the reel broken away to show the underlying construction.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, I have shown in the drawing and will hereindescribe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understoodthat I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific formdisclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternativeconstructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

For purposes of illustration I have shown my invention as embodied in anautomatic fish catching apparatus of the type disclosed and claimed inmy said copending application. As shown in Fig, 1, the improved reel lcarrying a fishing line H is mounted upon an elongated support l2, whichin turn is mounted for swinging movement in a horizontal plane, wherebythe reel may be disposed either (as indicated in full outline) over thewater, or (as indicated in dotted outline) over a boat, pier or othersuitable landing point. Adjustable clamping means, generally indicatedat M, may be provided for fas boat or the like.

, ,Referring to Figs. 2 and 4 the reel shown therein comprisescomplementary disk-like memsupport, bearing members 20 and 2l aresecured to the disks [6 as by screws 22, and are axially aperturedrotatably to receive a shaft 23 which extends through a bore 26 in thesupport I2 and is firmly secured thereto by a nut 21. Axial movement ofthe reel on the shaft is limited in one direction (to the right in Fig.2) by a screw and washer 24 secured to the free end ofthe shaft. Similarmovement in the opposite direction is prevented by a collar 25 integralwith the shaft. A pin 28, extending from the collar 25 into acooperating socket in the support, provides means for holding the shaftagainst rota tion relative to the support.

Means is provided for. storing energy as the reel is rotated in adirection to pay out theline. Herein this means comprises a spiralspring 29 confined within the spring compartment l6 and secured to theshaft at one end, as at 30, and to the drum at its other end, as by apin 3|. The spring is arranged so that rotation of the reel in aclockwise direction (see Fig. 4) to pay out the line will place thespring under tension Reverse or winding-in action of the reel, under theinfluence of the spring after the line is paid out a desired distance,is temporarily restrained by readily releasable mechanism which iscapable of being tripped by the pull of a hooked fish on the line.. Inthe instant embodiment a ratchet and pawl mechanism is employed for thispurpose andratchet teeth 32 may be formed on the rim of the bearingmember 2| for coaction with a pawl 33 arranged releasably to engage theratchet teeth to prevent movement of the reel by spring action. 7 Forthe purpose of releasing the reel to the rewinding force of the springafter the device has been set for operation, the pawl is mounted on alever 34 arranged to be actuated by a pull or jerk on the line todisplace the pawl from the ratchet. The lever in this instance includesa disk 44, which is eccentrically pivoted. on the support as at 35, andcarries the pawl 33 in the form of a pin at a distance from the pivotalable along the line to a position resting on or ad- N jacent to theangular portion 36 of the lever. A small rubber ball having a sufiicientfrictional grip on the line to maintain its relative position when theline is pulled has been found suitable. When the device is set inoperative condition for catching fish the lever 34 is in a raisedposition (as indicated in Fig. 4), the pawl and ratchet being held inengagement by the force exerted by the tensioned spring. Now if the lineis pulled, as by a hooked fish, the rubber ball will move the leverdownwardly to free the pawl from the ratchet and release the reel to therewinding action of the spring.

The relationship of the pawl 33, the lever 34 and the pivotal point 35of the lever as shown in Fig. 4, provides a trip mechanism which willremain in its set position yet is quite sensitive to a pull on the line.

After release the lever 34 will normally rest, by its own weight,against a stop 39 extending from the support. As the line is drawn inthrough the slot 31 during a rewind operation the lever might be carriedupwardly to reengage the pawl with the ratchet. This would relieve thetension on the line and possibly result in a loss of the fish. Tov avoidthis difficulty, means is provided for latching the pawl againstaccidental reengagement. Thus a lever 40 is pivoted on a stud 4| on thesupport and has a wedge shaped end 42 arranged to engage a notch 43 inthe disk when the pawl is in its released position. When the device isset the wedge shaped end 42 is held against the periphery of the disk,as illustrated in Fig. 4 by the weight of an arm 45 located on the sameside of the pivot as the end 42 and extending downwardly and outwardlyof the support. As the disk is rotated in a clockwise direction todisplace the pawl from the ratchet; the end 42 of the lever will dropinto engagement with the notch 43 and prevent the line from dragging thelever 34 upwardly. The arm 45 has another function to be presentlydescribed.

In order to prevent excessive speed of rotation of the reel, a governingdevice is provided and this device may be suitably confined within thegovernor compartment 16. Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, a cylindrical brakedrum 48 is secured to one of the disks iii of the reel housing. A pairof brake shoes 49 of generally semi-circular shape are dimensioned to beplaced in the drum in diametrical opposition and together form a divideddisk, the peripheral surface of which is adjacent to the inner surfaceof the brake drum. Each shoe is separately and eccentrically pivoted, asat 53, to a plate 5| which is fixed on a shaft 52 rotatably mounted onthe reel housing. A speed multiplying gear train in the governorcompartment drives the shaft 52 from the shaft 23 as relative motionbetween the reel and the shaft 23 occurs, the gears being designated bythe numerals 53, 54, 55 and 58. A tension spring 51 connected to bothshoes normally hold them dis.- engaged from the drum. When the shoes arerotated they are urged apart by centrifugal force and at or above apredetermined critical speed will drag on the drum. Excessive speed ofthe reel is thereby prevented.

The reel is mounted for swinging movement upon the support 13 andautomatically swung from an outboard or set position to an inboard orlanding position by any suitable means such, for example, as thatdisclosed in my said copending application.

Briefly stated the horizontal support [2 is mounted on the upper end ofthe vertical support l3 for movement about a vertical axis defined by apivot pin 58. 68 designates a stop comprising an arm 69 secured to thevertical support l3 and a yieldable stop member 10 engageable by the arml2 when the reel is swung into its inboard or landing position. Springmeans (not shown) associated with the pivot pin 58 is tensioned when thearm 12 is swung to its outboard position and becomes operative when thelineis wound in to swing the reel from its outboard or set position intoits landing position. The reel is normally held in its set position bylatch means including a latch member 13 (Fig. 1) engageable with thesupport I3 and operative by means of a rod 46 (Figs. 1 and 2) whichextends along and beneath the support l2 and terminates in an angularlybent end 8i] (Fig. 2) underlying the slotted portion 36 carried by thetubular arm 36, said underlying bent end 8!] having a slot 8| therein toentrain the line. A flat spring 84 secured to the reel supporting arm I2as at 85 engages the rod 48 to maintain the latch 13 in holdingengagement with the support [3.

In the act of setting the apparatus for operation the lever assembly andthe support are grasped by the fisherman. This moves the lever assemblytoward the support and the support is free to be swung to set position.At the same time the pawl and ratchet mechanism is conditioned to allowthe line to be paid out but to prevent rewinding thereof. Thus the partsare so arranged that the rod 46 in its upward movement engages and movesthe arm 45 (as indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 4) to release thewedge shaped end 42 of the lever 40 from the notch in the disk 44. Aspring 4'! (see Figs. 1 and 4) fixed to the arm 45 loosely engages atits free end a part of the pawl assembly 34 and urges the pawl yieldablyinto engagement with the ratchet teeth. The reel is now in condition formanually paying out the line. When the line has been paid out to asufficient extent the stop 38 is shifted to a position adjacent to theangular portion 36 of the pawl lever. The reel support may then berotated to a position extending over the water. If the lever arm 46 isnow released the latch or detent means 13 will engage to maintain thesupport in set position as illustrated in solid outline in ,Fig. 1.

When a fish has been hooked, the pull on the line releases the pawl fromthe ratchet, and the energy stored in the spring is automaticallyreleased to rotate the reel in a direction to wind up the line.Accidental reengagement of the pawl is prevented by engagement of thewedge end 42 of the lever 48 with the notch in the disk 44. The springkeeps a constant strain on the line automatically playing the fish untilit is finally wound in. Excessive speed of movement of the reel and lineduring this time is prevented by the governor. When the fish bait or anyother obstruction (indicated at 86) adjacent the free end of the linestrikes the lever arm 46., the latch device 13 is released and the reelis automatically swung to its normal position against the stop 68, thuslanding the fish. If the fish has not been properly hooked, the initialpull on the line releases the reel holding means and the loose line isreeled in and swung to a position convenient for inspection orrebaiting.

It will be understood that the means for automatically swinging the reelfrom its set position to its landing position forms no part of thepresent invention, the same being claimed in my said copendingapplication. Accordingly it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate anddescribe this structure in detail, reference being made to saidapplication for a more complete disclosure.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fishing reel, the combination of a shaft, a reel drum, means forrotatably supporting said drum on said shaft including a bearing havinga radially extending flange provided with ratchet teeth, means forimposing a force on said drum to drive it in one direction, a levermounted for pivotal movement adjacent said flange and having aprojection frictionally maintained in engagement with said ratchet teethby the force imposing means only to restrain said drum against movementby the force'imposing means, said lever when free seeking a gravityposition in which said projection is disengaged from said ratchet teeth.

2. An automatic fishing device having, in combination, a reel, a springconnected therewith and adapted for storing energy as a fishing lineassociated with said reel is paid out, detent means for preventingreverse action of said reel and disengageable by a pull on the line,latching means engageable with the detent means for maintaining thedetent means disengaged, and yieldable means associated with saidlatching means for urging said detent means into holding engagement withsaid reel when said latching means is actuated to release its engagementwith said detent means.

3. A fishing device having, in combination, a reel adapted for storingenergy as an associated fishing line is paid out, means for restrainingreverse action of said reel including normally disengaged ratchet andpawl means, a releasable latch for preventing the engagement of saidpawl with said ratchet, a spring attached to said latch and cooperablewith said pawl for yieldably forcing said pawl into engagement with saidratchet only when said latch is moved in pawl releasing direction.

4. An automatic fishing device having, in combination, a support, a reelrotatably mounted thereon, a fishing line on said reel, spring meansoperative between said support and said reel for imparting rotation tothe reel, a governing mechanism arranged to prevent excessive speed ofrotation of the reel, said governing mechanism including a rotatableplate, a cylindrical brake drum secured to the reel, semi-cylindricalshoes eccentrically pivoted on said plate and disposed substantiallyconcentrically of and within said drum so that said shoes will drag onsaid drum as the plate is rotated at greater than a predeterminedcritical speed, and a gear train connecting said plate with a stationaryelement of the support.

5. A fishing device having, in combination, a reel adapted for storingenergy as an associated fishing line is paid out, releasable detentmeans for holding said reel against the force of the stored energy, areleasable latch engageable with said detent means for preventingreengagement of said detent means after it has been released, said latchincluding means cooperable with said detent means for forcing saiddetent means into holding engagement with said reel upon movementrelease of said latch in a releasing direction, and a control memberincluding a part convenient to the grasp of the operater in setting thedevice and movable to effect release of said latch and engagement ofsaid detent with said reel.

6. A fishing device having, in combination, a reel adapted for storingenergy as an associated fishing line is paid out, detent meansengageable with said reel for restraining reverse action thereof, areleasable latch for preventing the engagement of said detent means withsaid reel, and spring means associated with said latch and cooperablewith said detent means upon movement of said latch in a releasingdirection to yieldably urge said detent means into engagement with saidreel.

7. A fishing device having, in combination, a support, a reel rotatablymounted on said support, a fishing line on said reel, driving means forurging said reel in one rotational direction, governor means arranged toprevent excessive speed of rotation of said reel, said governor meansincluding a brake drum secured to the reel, a centrifugal elementarranged for frictional contact with said drum upon rotation thereofabove a predetermined critical speed, and a multiplying gear trainconnected between said centrifugal element and said support for drivingsaid element by relative rotational movement between said reel and saidsupport.

8. In a fishing device, the combination of a support, a non-rotatableshaft on said support, a hollow reel rotatably mounted on said shaft,said reel having two compartments, a spring housed Within one of saidcompartments and connected between said shaft and said reel forimparting rotational movement to said reel, speed governing means housedwithin the other compartment, and a multiplying gear train connectedbetween said governormeans and said shaft for driving said governormeans by relative rotational movement between said reel and saidsupport.

ARTHUR. J OABSON.

